ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MONTHLY BULLETIN FEBRUARY 2020 CLAIMANT COUNT The unemployment rate in the Scottish Borders, as measured by the Claimant Count, rose to 2.7 per cent in January. INDICATOR MEASURE COMPARISON COMPARISON COMMENTARY WITH LAST WITH LAST MONTH YEAR Unemployment 2.7% The unemployment rate in the Scottish (1,840) Borders increased by 65 claimants on last month. The rate for the Scottish Borders remains below that for Scotland. Youth 5.0% Unemployment among 18-24 year olds Unemployment (390) remained the same as last month. The rate for the Scottish Borders remains above that for Scotland. CLAIMANT COUNT – JANUARY 2020 LAST MONTH PREVIOUS PREVIOUS MONTHLY ANNUAL MONTH YEAR CHANGE CHANGE Scottish Borders 1,840 1,775 1,560 65 280 Scotland Total 112,630 110,705 98,960 1,925 13,670 SB - % working age popn. 2.7% 2.6% 2.3% 0.1% 0.4% Scotland - % working age popn. 3.2% 3.2% 2.8% 0.0% 0.4% SB claiming age 18-24 390 390 340 0 50 Scotland claiming age 18-24 20,275 20,420 18,140 -145 2,135 SB % age 18-24 5.0% 5.0% 4.3% 0.0% 0.7% Scotland % age 18-24 4.3% 4.3% 3.8% 0.0% 0.5% Based on Claimant Count Source: Office for National Statistics PERCENTAGE OF WORKING AGE POPULATION CLAIMING – 3 YEARS Source: Office for National Statistics CLAIMANT COUNT BY MULTI-MEMBER WARD – JANUARY 2020 WARD LATEST MONTH PREVIOUS MONTH PREVIOUS YEAR MONTHLY CHANGE ANNUAL CHANGE NUMBER % NUMBER % NUMBER % NUMBER % NUMBER % East Berwickshire 160 2.6 135 2.3 115 1.9 25 0.3 45 0.7 Galashiels and District 380 3.9 365 3.7 345 3.5 15 0.2 35 0.4 Hawick and Denholm 240 4.4 230 4.2 190 3.4 10 0.2 50 1.0 Hawick and Hermitage 175 3.5 195 3.9 165 3.2 -20 -0.4 10 0.3 Jedburgh and District 120 2.3 115 2.2 105 2.0 5 0.1 15 0.3 Kelso and District 135 2.3 130 2.3 130 2.3 5 0.0 5 0.0 Leaderdale and Melrose 120 1.9 110 1.8 90 1.4 10 0.1 30 0.5 Mid Berwickshire 130 2.2 135 2.2 110 1.8 -5 0.0 20 0.4 Selkirkshire 160 2.8 155 2.8 135 2.4 5 0.0 25 0.4 Tweeddale East 115 1.8 110 1.8 85 1.3 5 0.0 30 0.5 Tweeddale West 105 1.7 90 1.5 95 1.5 15 0.2 10 0.2 Scottish Borders 1,840 2.7 1,775 2.6 1,560 2.3 65 0.1 280 0.4 Source: Office for National Statistics LOCAL NEWS AND NOTICES • The Borders Railway is breathing new life into the economies of the Scottish Borders, Midlothian and Edinburgh, offering fantastic opportunities for business, investment and employment. Whether you’re looking to start, grow, relocate or invest in a business, there is help available to become More Connected at www.bordersrailway.co.uk • Scottish Borders Council has a wide range of commercial, industrial and office properties available. If you are looking for a property for your business, please email [email protected] • Scottish Borders now has a LEADER funded Crowdfunding coach, Emmi Koivisto. Emmi has been employed to support, advise and train businesses and community groups looking to put together crowdfunding appeals to raise money for their ideas. For more information, go to https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/crowdfund-scotland There are also a limited number of financial bonuses to signing up through the new Crowdfunder Scotland site. • Scottish Borders Council can offer assistance to local companies wishing to tender for contracts arising from public procurement projects. For further details, register on the Supplier Development Programme at www.sdpscotland.co.uk or for more information, contact SBC Economic Development on 01835 826505. • If you are thinking about growing a business project, and would like to discuss the support available to you, please contact the Business Gateway adviser team directly on 01835 825600 or at [email protected] ENQUIRIES tel: 01835 826505 | email: [email protected] Follow us on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/ourscotborders.